Education and scientific research need to be invigorated to produce talents

The Government Work Report released last week during the annual gathering of the country's top legislature in Beijing identifies implementing the strategy for invigorating China through science and education as one of the top 10 tasks for governments at various levels this year, second only to the development of "new quality productive forces".

To implement that strategy is conducive to creating new development space and opening new tracks for development, and shaping new drivers for growth and forming new industrial advantages.

In accordance with the requirements for developing new quality productive forces, the government should try and smooth the virtuous cycle of education, science and technology, and talents, and deepen the institutional reform of the education, economic, scientific and technological systems and talent mechanism.

To accelerate the development of new quality productive forces, the country must optimize the subject setting of higher education based on new trends in scientific and technological development and major national strategic needs, and cultivate talents that are urgently needed.

To that end, the authorities need to promote and establish a high-quality education system and run compulsory education well. More emphasis should be placed on all-round education rather than exam-oriented education. It is necessary to strengthen vocational education and lifelong education so as to enhance social human capital.

Researchers are at the forefront of developing new quality productive forces. They should strengthen basic research, and seek to make breakthroughs in core technologies. The country is in an urgent need of establishing a network-based composite innovation system that integrates industry, academia and institutes. More also needs to be done to improve the science and technology evaluation system and incentive mechanism.

Education and scientific research are a long-term investment process. Governments must change their short-term investment concepts, reform their evaluation methods of and supports for basic research to nurture an institutional environment that encourages exploration and tolerates failure. Meanwhile, China should expand its international scientific and technological exchanges and attract more talents from foreign countries.